The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-12
WHERE THE BLAME BELONGS
What the Records Show Regarding the
State Financial Statement.
Governor Gray's Attempt to Shift to Secretary
Griffin the Blame for His Neglect of Duty
Proves Dismal Failure.

After remaining several months in the Audi
tor Of States Office without veriHcation the last
report Of ex-~reasurer of State Cooper was YES
.erdsy filed with the Secretary Of State. This
was the first official knowledge that officer had
of the existence of the report. Why it was not
before fled in the Secretary Of States Office is
due to . difference OF three cents. The report
did not agree with the Auditors books, the
Treasurer insisting that the errorIbelonged TO
the Auditors and not to the Treasurer's Office.
All this occurred under a Democratic admins
tration, and ex-Auditor Rice left the report as
n heritage unverihed to his successor Bruce
Carr. About two weeks ago, Mr. Bingham the
deputy under Rice, came after the report and
day before yesterday tn satter returned it to the
Auditor with his written explanation of the
error
The fle marks on the document show plainly
that the neglect OF duty of which the Governor
has talked so much is chargeable solely to himself
and ex-Treasurer Cooper Dec. 16 1885, Treas
urer Cooper sent the report to the Governor adj
dressed as follows:
OFFICE OF TREASURER OF STATE
hon Isaac r.. Gray, Governor of indiana:
Dear Sir-In compliance with law and my duty as
Treasurer Of the State of Indiana herewith submit
INV annual report of the transactions of this Office for
the fiscal year ending Oct 81. 1856.
Respectfully,
JOHN j. COOPER
Treasurer of State.
Tho first Endorsement in The State of In
diana, Governors Office, Dec. 15 1885, received
and examined by the Governor and the second
reads Dec II, 1886. referred to the Auditor of
State for veriication of the financial statement"
Nothing more was officially heard of the report
until it to the Secretary OF State yesterday,
with ex.Auditor Rice's explanation written
therein without date. and signed by him simply
As an individual, and not as Auditor of State
His explanation reads as follows:
The financial statement Of the Treasurer of State
does agree with the books of the Al tor of State
The warrant numbered 1889, dated Oct. 8, 1886,
drawn in favor of the treasurer of the Deaf and
Dumb Asylum for the maintenance of that institu-
tion for the month of September 1856, in the body
the corner Of the warrant the figures for So
o451G, making a difference of 3 cents;
Dumb Asylum received than he
entitled to, making overpayment to him BY the
81 the body Of the warrant, viz So O45 is was the
correct due the treasurer Of the Deaf and Dumb
which the warrant was drawn. and agrees with the
amount charged to the general fund and the cash
There is difference in the following accounts be-
the Auditor Of States books and the report of
e sSG q as s0r the hscsf year snanf 5 Oct
chow that the cash balance was Sio9 ;97176 The
drawn by the Deaf and Dumb Asylum for rnante-
for the year Twas $52. O69.9S. The report of
treasurer
97I.73. The general fund balance. 1873. 800 90 and
the amount drawn by the ID eaf and Dumb Asylum for
maintenance for the year $50, O1o.O which diff
ferenoes were shown by the comparison of the books
Of the Auditor of State and Treasurer of State at the
close of the fiscal year of 1886 when the differences
stated should have been corrected the books of the
Auditor Of State and the annual report of the Deaf
and Dumb Asylum for the fiscal year of 1886 would
correspond the financial statement of that insti
JAMES Fl. RICE.
1t was doubtless supposed that this would not
hA nv IA but ha at
what had been done, and added the following:
OFFICE OF AUDITOR OF STATE
INDIANAPoLIs, June H. 1887
The Treasurer of States report for the fiscal year
ending Oct 81 SS6, having this day been submitted
report. find that the same corresponds with the
books in this office. TO difference of three
"a, cents in the general fund which occasioned
hy erro- in No. 1853. issued Oct g. 1856,
account of maintenance of the Deaf and Dumb Asy
Inn. and corrected. ii should have been. The
statenent Of J. Fl. Rice as TO the above error was
placed on Treasurer'a report June 10, 1887.
BRUCE CARR Auditor of State.
The Secretary of States acknowledgment OF
the fling Of the report is as follows
STATE OF INDIANA
OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE.
The within report of State Treasurer Cooper
tary State and filed therein this 11th day of June,
1887 at twelve 12) o'clock
Dated this 18th day of June, 1887.
CHARLES Il. GRIFFIN, Secretary of State.
In the above it is readily seen who is blam-
able for the report not being published with the
acts of the last Legislature. Secretary Griffin,
IL appears, never had IL in his possession until
yesterday on account of the delay in properly
fling il caused by a dispute between Democratic
officers as to who should assume the RESPONSE
bility OF the three cents error. 1t is his iuten-
ton TO now publish the report in the document
Rry journal